Kaleidoscope Juice promotes health and happiness

The logo on the outside is brightly colored against a pale yellow wall. There is a rustic bar-style table sitting outside with brightly colored chairs and an umbrella. A window with open shutters that looks into the juice bar.

Walking in, it's peaceful and high energy at the same time.

The staff is delightful, but the juice is even better.

Kaleidoscope Juice was founded by Alexandra and Andrea Maw, a mother-daughter duo who radiate nothing but positivity and creativity.

"Our work is our life," Alexandra Maw says. "Everything is intertwined. The business is our creative expression and our thumbprint on the world."

Alexandra Maw graduated from Arizona State University in 2008 with a degree in housing and urban development.

She says she wouldn't have had her business without ASU.

In 2007, she says, she won the Edson Entrepreneur grant which made her create a business plan and presentation to be eligible. She says she asked her mom to be her partner and they created their business model from there.

"We're both obsessed with food and healthy eating," she says. "Our jobs don't overlap, we both have different strengths."

"She keeps the wheels on the bus," Alexandra says. "It would be impossible to do this without each other."

"We're best friends really, we are kind of obsessed with each other," she says laughing.

Kaleidoscope Juice started out with Alexandra and Andrea selling raw chocolates and hemp bars at the downtown farmer's market, Alexandra says.

She says they were soon making home deliveries of cold-pressed juice to friends and family. They sustained that for about a year and then got a commercial kitchen where they created their unique juice recipes.The juice is made from all organic products, most of which are grown locally, Alexandra says.

"Our first location was our location in North Scottsdale," Alexandra says. "It was nerve-racking. I was just leaping and then my wings appeared."

"I'm so thankful for it," she says.

Alexandra says the majority of her customers are regulars, with all of the staff knowing almost everyone by name as they walk in.

"We're all friends here," she says. "Our customers are our friends and family. We hold a space that promotes community and promotes a coming together of people."

Alexandra says she sold her juice to one of her first customers in a parking lot, now Wendy Katz is her best friend.

"I buy 90 percent of my food from here," Katz says laughing. "Everything is so clean and has so much love in it. I believe in what they create here."

"It's really the heartbeat of the community," Katz says.

Kaleidoscope Juice not only has many flavors of cold-pressed juice, but their menu also has organic coffees and teas as well as carryout food such as salads and pastries.

All of the juice is made and bottled at a facility in Old Scottsdale, down the street from one of the store locations, Alexandra says. They even have their own bottling plant.

She says the business is a big hit with the Phoenix Suns.

"We deliver juice there a few times a week," Alexandra says. "The athletic director called me and it was just a beautiful alignment."

She says that they have never advertised and that people really find out about it through word of mouth.

"It's such a nice way to build a business," she says. "It's so organic and so real."

Alexandra says she floats around from location to location, but she likes to spend time with customers and behind the bar as well.

She also says they are opening a new location in mid-February right below where she lives.

"It'll be at Optima Sonoran Village," she says. "I'll spend a lot of time over there for the first few months to get it off the ground, but it's wonderful because I can just go downstairs and be at work."

Andrea Maw says the business has made a real difference for people since its origin.

"Our juice makes such a difference in people's health," Andrea says. "People always say that they've replaced or reduced their medications with juice. It creates an upward spiral for health and vitality."

Andrea also says that Kaleidoscope Juice donates all of their pulp from juicing to St. Vincent de Paul where they use the pulp to fertilize their own vegetables in an on-site garden.

"It is nutrition creating nutrition," she says.

This mother-daughter team works very well, and both women say they can't imagine the business without both of them.

"It's a dream come true," Andrea says. "I have the best partner in the whole world."

"I find that people are becoming more aware of what they eat," she says. "I am pleasantly surprised by the growing popularity of juicing. People are actually thinking about what they are consuming and where it comes from."

"I think this place is about taking time to practice self-love and self-care," Alexandra says. "It's also a platform where people can come together and talk about those things."

Visit Kaleidoscope Juice at one of their four locations and try their signature "Hot Yogi" juice.

Reach the reporter at Alexa.Dangelo@asu.edu or via Twitter @andangelo15.